Newcastle United's future PSR boost Eddie Howe won't want as rivals benefit from cup win

No matter what happens between now and May, Newcastle United will be playing European football next term. An extra little bonus after ending their lengthy trophy drought over the weekend.

Eddie Howe has allowed his players a few days to enjoy their celebrations but long before the Magpies return to action against Brentford on April 2, the message will be clear; nothing but total focus is needed for what promises to be a tight run in at the business end of the Premier League campaign.

Should the season unexpectedly fall apart on Tyneside, United have earned themselves a safety net having qualified for the play-off stage of the Europa Conference League. UEFA's bronze medal tournament has been won by West Ham United in recent years, with Chelsea favourites for the crown this term.

It also means Newcastle will benefit financially next term. The league stage of the Conference League currently sees teams awarded £2.6m for their participation alone. Further victories generate £336,000, while £112,000 is dished out for every draw.

Teams that qualify for the competition's round of 16 bank an £672,500, while quarter-final status is accompanied by another £1.1million. This season, teams who reach the final four earn an additional £2.1million, with £2.5million and £3.5million dished out to the runners-up and winners respectively.

At a time when profit and sustainability rules [PSR] significantly impact a club's chances of success, any additional outside source of revenue is welcomed. However, those aforementioned figures pale in insignificance to the sort of money on offer in the Champions League.

After all, Europe's premier competition hands out a whopping £15.6m starting fee for any teams who simply enter the initial league stage of the competition, with a further £1.7m on offer for a single victory in each of a side's eight group matches alone.

Howe will not be thinking of the potential Europa Conference League benefits and instead will be urging his players to capitalise on this momentum by finishing in the top five this term. The club's majority ownership, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, will also not be settling for any less than a Champions League push in the coming weeks.

In terms of what it means for the rest of the Premier League, some of United's top flight rivals will be celebrating their Wembley success after it opened the door for a staggering 11 English sides to book their place in Europe next term.

It is an unlikely, and confusing, scenario but not an impossible one. Should Liverpool, Arsenal, Nottingham Forest, Manchester City and Newcastle book their place in the top five and Aston Villa somehow win the Champions League while finishing outside the top seven, those six clubs would battle it out in Europe's most senior competition next term.

Should Manchester United or Tottenham win the Europa League, they too would book themselves a Champions League spot. If those clubs both end up finishing between eighth and tenth, the Premier League's Europa League spots for next year would go to sixth and seventh.

Meanwhile, Chelsea could qualify for the competition themselves if they win the Europa Conference League - but they would also have to finish between eighth and tenth to allow 11th-place in the Premier League to pick up the only remaining European spot available - which would be for the Conference League.

A very complicated and unlikely situation - but one made possible due to United's cup win on Sunday evening.

Newcastle United Carabao Cup WINNERS 2024/25

At last, Newcastle have their hands on silverware!

After an agonising 56-year wait, the Magpies' amazing army of fans can celebrate watching their side lift a trophy after their Carabao Cup final win. And to celebrate, the Newcastle Chronicle have produced this souvenir special, marking the Wembley triumph.

It is packed full of reaction, analysis and quotes as well as amazing pictures from the day, and a centre-spread poster.

It is the perfect souvenir of an historic day for Newcastle.

Buy now and have it delivered directly to your door. Alternatively you can purchase in most supermarkets, high street retailers and independent newsagents in the North East from March 20, 2025.